Dual function flasher



July 11, 1961 R. 1.. CURTNER 2,99 6

DUAL FUNCTION FLASHER Original Filed Feb. 6, 1959 FIG. I

ELEGTRO MAGNET no.

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I? a l2 ACTUATING WIRE CONTRACTED IN VEN TOR. RICHARU L. CURTNER Z0 1 4:5 yO/f/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()flice W 2,992,336 M DUAL FUNCTION FLASHER Richard L. Curtner, Solon, Ohio, assignor to Frank A. Daugherty, Cleveland, Ohio Continuation of application Ser'. No. 791,611, Feb. 6, 1959. This application Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,806 '6 Claims. (Cl. 307-41) This invention, relating as indicated to a dual function flasher having normally open and normally closed contacts, is particularly directed to a flasher which serves a dual switching function and is useful in connection with safety signal flasher circuits for switching alternately the right and then the left directional lights on a vehicle.

More particularly, this invention relates to a magnetic dual function flasher which can be adapted for switching relatively heavy loads of current into two circuits alternately at a fairly rapid rate.

In general, flashers are of three types-wanes, disc and magnetic-but this invention relates to the magnetic type which provides by use of a magnet the desired snap action of the contacts. This is useful only in connection with direct current. In magnetic flashers the actuating resistance and its associated ballast coils shunt the moving and the stationary contacts. When the contacts open, a resistance is introduced in the circuit which permits an extremely small amount of current to flow. This current is insuflicient to light the signal lamps or pilot lights but it is suflicient to heat the actuating wire. As the wire expands, the spring loaded contacts move toward the stationary contact and magnet. At the very instant of closing the contacts, the resistance element is shorted, and the hill lamp load current flows through the magnetic coil creating a strong magnetic field which locks the contacts together. When the resistance is shorted, no current flows through it and cooling takes place. The wire contracts sufficiently to pull apart the contacts and at the moment of parting the resistance wire and ballast coil are again introduced into the circuit, and the strong magnetic field collapses. A parallel circuit may be employed With a pilot light.

This invention is then directed to a dual function flasher having normally open and normally closed contacts. In the prior art devices have been known with normally open contacts only. This invention not only has the additional contact, causes an alternation and opening of the closed contact and closing of the open contact and then a reversal, but also handles the problem of transient currents in such a way that no damage occurs in the flasher circuit.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved dual function flasher having normally open and normally close-d contacts.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved flasher which may be used in connection with automotive vehicular equipment, particularly the brake and signal lights, and which can be used with associated circuits for safety purposes, said flasher being characterized by having a diflerent functional relationship that will handle the interruption of a load current and also the switching of a load current between a series of contacts as would be required in the flashing alternately of the lights on the opposite sides of a car.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends said invention then consists of the means hereinafter [fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the following descrpition setting forth in detail one approved means of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of my new and improved flasher;

2,992,335 Patented July 11, 1961 FIGURE 2 is a schematic view of the prior art; and

FIGURE 3 is a further schematic view showing the operation of the flasher in the prior art when it is closed during the flashing.

This invention operates in the following manner:

When the turn signal switch is neutral or in the off position, no current flows from the contacts shown at '10, and indicated also as X, and the lighting contact at 11, also indicated as L, because the turn signal switch contacts are open to the lighting load. When manually placing the signal switch in a turned position, a lighting bulb filament is connected to the flasher circuit as an electrical load. The high resistance of the ballast coil 12 will only permit a small amount of current to flow which is insufiicient to illuminate the bulb (not shown). This small current will cause the actuating wire 13 to elongate by thermal expansion due to the current being permitted to flow through the ballast coil. When the actuating wire becomes sufliciently lengthened by thermal expansion, the contacts 14 and 15 will close. This closes a circuit in parallel with the ballast coil or literally short-circuiting the ballast coil, and permits the full current to flow to the lights, contact 11, and no current or very llittle current can flow to the ballast. This causes the actuating wire to contract because it is now cooling and breaks the electrical contact. While the electromagnet is on, the normally closed contact from lead A indicated at 17 and being connected to the other contact 18 would switch from the normally closed position to the normally open position, this contact being generally designated 20, having a contact 21 and a contact 22. The contact 22 is connected by a lead line 23 to the pilot lamp P or load at 24. As long as the turn signal switch is in one of the turned positions, the actuating wire continues to expand and contract in the manner indicated.

This operation of the mechanical portion when connected with the electromagnet is fairly well known in the art. However, the characteristics of this dual function flasher having normally open and normally closed contacts are different. Instead of the current passing from lead X at 10 through the actuating wire, through the ballast coil, through the normally open contact 15 and then through the electromagnet, it will lengthen the actuating coil causing contacts 14 and 15 to close, sending a surge of current through the electromagnet which will switch the normally closed contacts 17 and 18 apart and close contacts 21 and 22. As contacts 17 and 18 break, there will be a surge of current through the discharge coil 26 which is for the purpose of protecting the circuit. At the same time as the ballast coil is shorted out, the actuating wire will contract, breaking contacts 14 and 15 and pro ducing the current through the electromagnet while causing the spring actuated contacts 21 and 22 to separate and making the normally closed contact again.

As this last separation takes place, the current will flow through the ballast coil and discharge in the manner indicated earlier.

In order to illustrate the versatility of this flasher, one of the contacts, either P or A, can be in series with the lights and through a switch which may be enclosed separately. In this manner, the flasher can be used to operate the left lights, i.e., turn and signal lights, of a turn indicating system and then the right turn signals. With a circuit setup switch it can be used to flash alternately the opposite left and right turn lights by using both contacts P and A.

Attention should again be directed to the function of the discharge coil 26. With the opening of the normally closed contacts 17 and 18 carrying a substantial DlC. current, there would be produced a spark, and the contact would become pitted except that a discharge coil is arranged in parallel with the normally closed contact to discharge the transient electrical currents. The ballast coil provides a similar function on the normally open contact in the other half of the cycle.

This invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

This application is a continuation of my abandoned application Serial No. 791,611, filed February 6, 1959.

I claim:

1. A dual function flasher having normally open and normally closed contacts, comprising in combination a movable contact, a high resistance wire connected to said movable contact, a ballast coil, a fixed contact and an electromagnet in series, said high resistance wire expanding and contracting to shunt the current directly from said movable contact to said fixed contact, two lead wires each having a contact on the end thereof and a resiliently mounted contact therebetween having a contact adapted to engage alternately each of said first two contacts, said resiliently mounted contact being actuated by the electromagnet to switch from a normally closed position with one of said contacts to a normally open position, a discharge coil between the lead of said normally closed contact and the power supply, a further lead connection from said same contact through the resiliently mounted contact, whereby upon actuation of a small current the actuating high resistance wire will ex pand closing the contacts through the electromagnet, switching the resilient contact from the normally closed position to the normally open position, and a discharge current from this contact breaking discharging through the discharge coil, and whereby the cooling of said actuating wire breaks the contact through the electromagnct returning the resilient contact to its normally closed contact position, whereby the discharge from this interruption is discharged through the ballast coil.

2. In a dual function flasher having a normally open and a normally closed contact, at least four lead contacts, a first movable contact, a fixed contact and two load contacts, said first movable contact being connected to a source of electrical current and having a high resistance wire connected to said first movable contact and to a ballast coil, said ballast coil being connected in said circuit with the fixed contact, an electromagnet connected to said fixed contact, said two other load contacts having a second movable resiliently mounted contact movable between said two load contacts biased to a normally closed position with one of said load contacts, said second movable resilient contact being connected to the first movable contact, and a discharge coil between said normally closed load contact and said first movable contact, whereby the transient electrical currents upon breaking of the normally closed contact will discharge through the coil, and whereby the first movable contact upon contacting the fixed contact will electromagnetically move the second resiliently mounted contact to the normally open position load contact.

3. A dual function flasher having normally open and normally closed contacts, comprising in combination a movable contact, a high resistance wire connected to said movable contact, a ballast coil, a fixed contact and an electromagnet in series, said high resistance wilre expanding and contracting to shunt the current directly from said movable contact to said fixed contact, two lead wires each having a contact on the end thereof and a. resiliently mounted contact therebetween having a contact adapted to engage alternately each of said first two contacts, said resiliently mounted contact being actuated by the electromagnet to. switch from a normally closed. position with one of said contacts to a normally open position, a further lead connection from said normally closed contact through the resiliently mounted contact, whereby upon actuation of a small current the actuating high resistance wire will expand closing the contacts through the electromagnet, switching the resilient contact from the norm-ally closed position to the normally open position, and whereby the cooling of said actuating wire breaks the contact through the electromagnet returning the resilient contact to its normally closed contact position, whereby the discharge from this interruption is discharged through the ballast coil.

4. In a dual function flasher having a normally open and a normally closed contact, at least four lead contacts, a first movable contact, a fixed contact and two load contacts, said first movable contact being connected to a source of electrical current and having a high resistance wire connected to said first movable contact and to a ballast coil, said ballast coil being connected in said circuit with the fixed contact, an electrom-agnet connected to said fixed contact, said two other load contacts having a second movable resiliently mounted contact movable between said two load contacts biased to a normally closed position with one of said load contacts, said second movable resilient contact being connected to the first movable contact, whereby the first movable contact upon contacting the fixed contact will electromagnetically move the second resiliently mounted contact to the normally open position load contact.

5. A thermo-responsive switch comprising a biased member having one end fixed and adapted to assume alternate positions; an electrical terminal connected to said fixed end of said biased member; a contact carried by the movable end of said biased member; a fixed contact positioned to be engaged by said first mentioned contact; an expansible resistance wire having an end secured to the movable end of said biased member and in electrical connection with said first mentioned contact, the other end of said expansible resistance wire being anchored so as to place said wire in tension; a ballast coil electrically connected between said anchored end of said expansible resistance wire and said fixed contact; an electromagnet coil connected at one end to said fixed contact and at its other end to an electrical terminal; a second biased member having one end fixed and electrically connected to said first mentioned terminal; contact means on said second biased member; a second fixed contact in normally closed position with said contact means; electrical terminal means connected to said second fixed contact; a third fixed contact positioned to make electrical engagement with said contact means when said second biased member is biased away from said second fixed contact by electrical energization of said electromagnet coil through the said electrical terminal connected to said first biased member; and an electrical terminal connected to said third fixed contact, whereby electrical loads connected to said fixed contacts are intermittently energized responsive to the expansion and contraction of said expansible resistance wire as current is alternately carried through or shunted by said expansible resistance wire.

6. A thermo-responsive switch comprising a biased member having one end fixed and adapted to assume alternate positions; an electrical terminal connected to said fixed end of said biased member; a contact carried by the movable end of said biased member; a fixed contact positioned to be engaged by said first mentioned contact; an expansible resistance wire having an end secured to the movable end of said biased member and in electrical connection with said first mentioned contact, the outer end of said expansible resistance wire being anchored so as to place said wire in tension; a ballast coil electrically connected between said anchored end of said expansible resistance wire and said fixed contact; an electromagnet coil connected at one end to said fixed contact and at 5 its other end to an electrical terminal; a second biased member having one end fixed and electrically connected to said first mentioned terminal; contact means on said second biased member; a second fixed contact in normally closed position with said contact means; electrical termi- 5 nal means connected to said second fixed contact; a third fixed contact positioned to make electrical engagement with said contact means when said second biased memher is biased away from said second fixed contact by electrical energization of said electromagnet coil through 10 the said electrical terminal connected to said first biased member; an electrical terminal connected to said third fixed contact, and a discharge coil between said first mentioned contact and said second fixed contact, whereby electrical loads connected to said fixed contacts are intermittently energized responsive to the expansion and contraction of said expansible resistance wire as current is alternately carried through or shunted by said expansible resistance wire.

No references cited. 

